FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Paul G. Silva
Cofounder and President
ZForm LLC
psilva@ZForm.com
(413) 585-9692
New Version Adds Many New Features, Integration with Window-Eyes Screen-reader
Northampton, MA – October 30, 2002 – ZForm today announced the release of version 1.1 of their flagship product, ZForm Poker. The new version offers a host of exciting new features, while maintaining the robustness and reliability of version 1.0. The upgrade can be downloaded from ZForm's website (www.zform.com).
Foremost among the new features is complete integration with the Window-Eyes’ screen-reading program from GW Micro, adding to ZForm Poker's existing integration with the Jaws for Windows screen-reader from Freedom Scientific. These two products combined represent an overwhelming majority of screen-reader users.
"One of the goals of ZForm is to make games that are equally accessible to the blind, visually impaired, and fully sighted," noted Jeremie Spitzer, ZForm's cofounder and CEO. "Integration with Window-Eyes allows us to give the vast majority of our blind players unparalleled access to ZForm Poker."
"We at GW Micro have been working closely with ZForm to ensure that users of our product have easy access to this hitherto unexplored area—that of modern, online entertainment," said Doug Geoffrey, cofounder and Vice President of Support and Development at GW Micro.
Version 1.1 of ZForm Poker also boasts significantly upgraded audio. The Wild West ambience is enhanced, complete with saloon background activity and dialog. Starting with version 1.1, there are now two versions of the game available for download. One version is optimized for shorter download times, while the other is larger and includes additional ambient audio. The audio in both versions is improved over version 1.0.
"The atmosphere really compliments the game now," said one customer. "The new ambience makes for a much more immersive experience."
Also new for 1.1 are several usability features. The Away From Keyboard mode lets players hold a seat at a table while attending to other tasks. An enhanced review mode allows more flexibility in reviewing prior game activity. Players can now keep track of how long they've been playing and how many chips they've won or lost in the current poker session. Ability to change the speech rate on the fly helps players keep up with those fast-paced hands, and the ability to ignore all chat lets players who are only in it for the gold have only game-related messages spoken to them.
"I didn't think it could get much better than 1.0," remarked one customer. "Then I played 1.1 and was impressed all over again."
ZForm Poker 1.1 can be downloaded via:
http://games.zform.com/download/index.html
New customers can sign up for a fifteen-day free trial by browsing to:
http://www.zform.com and clicking on "Sign up for a Free Trial of ZForm Poker".
About ZForm:
ZForm's mission is to create fun and engaging ways for friends and family to interact as equals regardless of visual impairment. The company got its start in a college dorm room in 1997. "I had a friend who was totally blind," remembers Silva. "I wanted to hang out and play games with him, but there was just nothing out there that would be equally fun and playable by both of us."
Cofounders Paul Silva and Jeremie Spitzer had a dream of starting a game company, and when they realized the need for these games they formed their company with a mission to fulfill that need. "We were sure we weren't the only ones to come up against this social barrier," said Spitzer, "and we hoped that if we could break it down, the entire blind and visually impaired community could benefit." They spent the next three years recruiting the ZForm team and securing the funding needed to bring their vision to life. Their efforts culminated with the launch of ZForm Poker in April of this year.
ZForm can be found online at: www.zform.com
###
Quotes from people playing ZForm Poker:
“You play against other people
who are sitting at this virtual poker table on the Internet, and the software
does not care - the players do not care - who is blind and who is sighted.”
– Curtis Chong, Director of technology, National Federation of the
Blind
“My family has played
games on the net for a good while but Friday night was the first time ever that
I have been able to play with them. Which is fantastic to feel a part of the
same sorts of things that your other family members do for entertainment.”
– Scott W.
“One thing I'd very much
like to add is that I've made a number of friends and increased my contacts
with people from all over the world. ZForm has truly brought a new and
pleasant meaning to the term Global village, and if poker was to be used as a
yardstick to measure the success of building a community, then I say let there
be more of such games.”
– Jaffar S.